Entries Tagged 'Desktop Pc Components' ↓

October 27, 2011 02:57 PM Eastern Daylight Time 

BOULDER, Colo.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–LifePics today announced an exclusive partnership with Photobucket that enables millions of Photobucket users to order photo products through the LifePics Network, including a variety of photo prints, photo books, photo cards, canvas prints, photo calendars and other photo gifts. Photobucket, the world’s leading dedicated photo and video sharing service, will deliver expanded print and photo products to its more than 100 million users in a simple, convenient ordering interface.

“Our audience is looking for simple and easy ways to share their life stories, and our partnership with LifePics is the perfect complement to our suite of uploading, editing and sharing tools, as Photobucket users can now easily order their favorite photos from their Photobucket accounts”

“Our audience is looking for simple and easy ways to share their life stories, and our partnership with LifePics is the perfect complement to our suite of uploading, editing and sharing tools, as Photobucket users can now easily order their favorite photos from their Photobucket accounts,” said Tom Munro, CEO at Photobucket. “Photobucket and LifePics are both in the business of helping people capture, share and preserve their favorite memories, so the partnership was a natural fit for both companies.”

the new service from LifePics significantly expands Photobucket’s previous print and photo product selection. Photobucket users can now order dozens of prints, from standard sizes to large posters, as well as a variety of sizes and styles of photo books, hundreds of personalized greeting cards and templates for any occasion, plus hundreds of photo gifts ranging from coffee mugs to t-shirts, mouse pads, canvas prints and photo jewelry. the companies are offering a free shipping promotion through October for orders over $25 (promo code: freeshipping).

“Photobucket customers will see an added benefit of having LifePics as a partner because they have more choices than before,” said Rick Patch, president and CEO at LifePics. “By partnering with Photobucket, LifePics continues to expand its scope beyond the basic online-to-retail model. Our business is helping established photo retailers and e-tailers give more choices and convenience to their customers through our photo ordering portal. This partnership with Photobucket is particularly gratifying.”

For more information about LifePics, visit LifePics.com.

For more information about Photobucket, visit Photobucket.com.

Heavy Artillery for the AMD AM3+ Platform

BIOSTAR Group, a world famous manufacturer of motherboards, graphics cards, industrial computing systems and computer peripherals, proudly announces the TA990FXE motherboard aimed at the most demanding overclockers and gamers.

the TA990FXE is made in the ATX form-factor on the flagship AMD 990FX chipset in combination with the most advanced SB950 Southbridge which guarantees the support of the latest technologies and ensures the unprecedented performance. the board supports all Socket AM3+ based Phenom II X6, Phenom II X4, Phenom II X3, Phenom II X2, Athlon II X4, Athlon II X3, Athlon II X2 and Sempron CPUs including top 6-core and 8-core AMD FX, AMD Phenom II and AMD Athlon II chips with the maximum thermal design up to 140W.

the board is equipped with four DDR3 DIMM slots and supports up to 16GB of dual-channel DDR3 800/1066/1333/1600/1866 MHz RAM as well as overclocking versions up to 2000 MHz.

Today’s market features few motherboards equipped with three PCI-E x16 2.0 slots, and the TA990FXE is one of few boards supporting their configuration of x16, x16, x4. It actually means the support for the most complex graphics configurations based on several graphics cards. Additional peripherals are realized with two PCI slots and one PCI-E x1 2.0.

the board features a great deal of interfaces and peripheral controllers. It sports five SATA3 6Gbit/s slots supporting SATA RAID 0,1,5,10, three USB 3.0 ports, six USB 2.0 ports, FireWire IEEE 1394a, 10/100/1000 Mbit/s LAN and 8-channel HD Audio. there is also a bracket for a serial port and a connector for an external eSATA2 3 Gbit/s interface.

the TA990FXE board comes with modern high-quality solid capacitors and is ready to run stably under the latest Windows 7 family OSes. the board supports the maximum list of BIOSTAR’s proprietary technologies including the BIOSTAR G.P.U (Green Power Utility) for optimal power consumption at low system load, an exclusive overclocking system, the Rapid Switch for quick restart, the Rapid Debug for hardware debugging with the help of a LED light, the BIOS Flasher and the BIOS Relife for updating or recovering BIOS from a USB drive, and the BIO-Remote 2 for remote control of home media system components from Android and Apple mobile devices. Overclockers will be pleased with the T-overclocker utilities for Windows which provide fine system tuning for experienced users.

About BIOSTAR MICROTECH INT’L CORP. since its establishment in 1986, the BIOSTAR GROUP has become a major motherboard supplier to the PC industry in Taiwan. in order to pursue continuous growth, BIOSTAR has invested heavily in acquiring the physical and human resources to excel research and development. in every endeavor, BIOSTAR has sought to enhance product quality and expand its range of available products. in addition to producing quality motherboards, BIOSTAR also carries out mini PC system – iDEQ series – the intelligent Desktop trends for the near future and IA product. a wider product range provides buyers with choices they want and need. with a constant emphasis on quality, BIOSTAR seeks to offer products with the highest price-performance ratio in the industry

Related Articles:

• Biostar TA890GXB-HD mATX AMD Motherboard

Eugene, OR — (SBWIRE) –10/11/2011 — Coast Computer Services announced today the introduction of Remote Virus Removal and Technical Support Services for residential and business customers using Microsoft Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7. Coast Computer Services can remotely access customer computers and provide complete technical support to customers in any location throughout the United States.using remote access software, technical support professionals at Coast Computer Services can easily attach to a customer computer and observe the technical problem being experienced by the customer. Utilizing their technical knowledge and experience, technical support professionals are then capable of remotely resolving technical problems in a timely and professional manner. all staff at Coast Computer Services are American, native English speaking technical support professionals with a minimum of 19 years of experience in Virus Removal and Technical Support. You will find communicating with Coast Computer Services to be completely painless because all staff are fluent in conversational English. Coast Computer Services understands the importance of listening to their customers. Their number one priority is meeting their customer’s needs. with this goal in mind, they strive every day to provide the best technical support in the United States. call Coast Computer Services today at (541) 997-0700 or visit them on the web at mycoastcomputers.com.about Coast Computer ServicesSince 1992, Coast Computer Services has provided nationwide technical support to residential and business customers using Microsoft Windows. Coast Computer Services also provides business customers with Professional Web Design, Web Application Development, Business Computer Networks, Database Development and Custom Programming.Technical SupportCoast Computer Services provides technical support for residential and business customers throughout the United States. Technical support includes Virus Removal, Spyware Removal, Windows Error Resolution, Printer Problem Resolution, Email Problem Resolution, Software Problem Resolution, Hardware Problem Resolution, Software Installation and Removal, Driver Installation and Removal, Data Recovery, Registry Repair, Password Recovery and Wired/Wireless Networking.If you are experiencing a technical issue of any kind involving Microsoft Windows, we are here to help.Professional Web Design and Web Application DevelopmentCoast Computer Services develops fully customized websites for businesses throughout the United States. Websites have included Online Stores, Picture Galleries, Image Panning, Marketing Text Development, Search Engine Optimization, Credit Card Merchant Solutions, Streaming Audio and Video, Newsfeeds, Knowledgebases, help Desk Systems and Many Others.Websites have utilized the following technologies: LAMP (Linux – Apache – MySQL – PHP), AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript – XML), jQuery, phpMyAdmin, Adobe Flash, Adobe Actionscript, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Dreamweaver, Adobe Illustrator, UserCake, RDF (Resource Description Framework), API (Application Programming Interface), HTML(Hypertext Markup Language), DHTML (Dynamic Hypertext Markup Language), XHTML (Extensible Hypertext Markup Language), Perl, RSS (Really Simple Syndication) and CSS (Cascading Style Sheets).Business Computer NetworksCoast Computer Services installs and supports business computer networks throughout the United States.Business computer networks have included Active Directory, Group Policies, User Account Management, NTFS Permissions, Folder Shares, Printer Shares, Print Servers, Printer Redirection, Shared Modems, Patch Management, Windows Updates, Windows Service Packs, Security Analysis, Server Monitoring, Traffic Analysis, Network Inventory, Software Licensing, Network Design/Implementation, Firewall Configuration, Email Migration/Conversion, IT Policies and Procedures, Technical Documentation, Remote Access, Remote Control, Email, Antivirus, Troubleshooting, Preventative Maintenance and Disaster Recovery. Business computer networks have utilized the following technologies: Microsoft Windows Server, Microsoft Windows Small Business Server, RedHat Enterprise Linux, Novell Intranetware 4.11 and Novell Netware 3.12/4.1, Microsoft Exchange Server, Microsoft SQL Server, Microsoft Remote Web Workplace, Microsoft Remote Desktop, Terminal Services, Terminal Services Web Access, Printer Redirection, Microsoft Internet Information Server, Microsoft Sharepoint, Sage MAS90, Symantec Backup Exec, Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery, Trend Micro Worry Free Business Security, Symantec Endpoint Protection, Dameware Mini Remote Control, Forward/Reverse VNC (Virtual Network Computing) and Watchguard MUVPN (Mobile User Virtual Private Network), Novell Managewise, Novell ZenWorks, Intel LANDesk and many others. Database Development and Custom ProgrammingCoast Computer Services develops fully customized database applications for businesses throughout the United States. Database development has included 2D Barcode Automation, Case Management, Inventory Management, Client Management, Document Management, Project Management, Parts and Repair Management, Time and Materials Management, Purchase Order Processing, Work Order Processing, File Transfers, Automated Report Distribution, Complex Report Design, Lead Generation, Lead Analysis, Cause Analysis, Cost Analysis, Log Analysis,Image Retrieval, Image Manipulation, Data Retrieval, Data Manipulation, Webpage Retrieval, Webpage Manipulation, Email Retrieval, Email Manipulation, Telephone Keypad to English Dictionary Translation, CAD Drawing Management, Room Reservation, Point of Sale, Quality Assurance, Knowledgebase and Many Others.Database applications have utilized the following technologies: LAMP (Linux – Apache – MySQL – PHP), AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript – XML), phpMyAdmin, jQuery, UserCake, Microsoft SQL Server, Microsoft Access, Microsoft Visual Basic, Microsoft VBScript, Microsoft ActiveX, Adobe Flash, RSS (Really Simple Syndication) and Perl.(C) Copyright 2011, Coast Computer Services, LLC. all rights reserved.

Toshiba's second desktop of the year, the 23-inch DX730.

(Credit:Toshiba)

Former laptop-exclusive Toshiba has introduced its second all-in-one desktop this year, debuting the 23-inch, touch-screen-equipped DX730. This new unit joins the 21.5-inch DX1210 which Toshiba introduced this past August.

Based on its specs, the $956.99 DX730 sounds like a competitive-enough all-in-one compared with other Windows-based touch-screen models in its price range. Toshiba offers a choice of second-generation Intel Core i5 and Core i7 CPUs, a 1TB hard drive, 4GB of RAM, and an HDMI input for connecting external media components. Toshiba also highlights the DX730′s Onkyo-provided speakers, giving this system a point of comparison against HP’s new Beats Audio-powered TouchSmart all-in-ones.

Other than the larger screen size, the DX730 seems to mirror the DX1210 we reviewed this summer, almost exactly. That system debuted at $935, and it has the same 1,920×1,080-pixel resolution as the DX730, but it currently sells for around $899. At that price, the $970 baseline DX730 and its larger screen looks like a fairly priced deal compared with the DX1210, but we’re interested to see the price increase and what other features might come along with the Core i7-based version. presumably we’ll find out when the DX730 goes on sale, at best buy only, on October 2.

Llano Mini-ITX mobo face off: Asus F1A75-I Deluxe vs. Zotac A75-ITX WiFi a tale of two tiers by Geoff Gasior — 1:38 PM on October 5, 2011

AMD’s latest mainstream desktop platform boasts arguably the most potent two-chip combo in the industry. At the head, you’ve got an A-series APU powered by the latest Llano silicon, which offers four reasonably fast CPU cores backed by a DirectX 11-class Radeon that puts competing integrated graphics solutions to shame. Baby’s got back, too. the tail end features a Hudson-based platform hub that’s loaded with 6Gbps Serial ATA and USB 3.0 connectivity. No other tag team offers such a cutting-edge array of baked-in goodness, making this Lynx platform perfect for the next wave of small-form-factor systems.

If you want to roll your own mini PC, you’ll be needing a Mini-ITX motherboard. our first instinct would be to look to Zotac, which is largely responsible for reinvigorating interest in the decade-old Mini-ITX form factor. over the past few years, Zotac has rolled out a number of attractive Mini-ITX motherboards based on the latest chipsets and sockets. Indeed, the company’s Z68-ITX WiFi earned a TR Recommended award when we dissected it back in July.

As you’ve probably guessed, Zotac has cooked up a new Mini-ITX board built just for AMD’s A-series APUs. the A75-ITX WiFi offers all the perks associated with the newest Fusion platform, plus additional wireless amenities. and it’s not alone. the recent popularity of midget motherboards has attracted the attention of Asus, which has designed its own Mini-ITX home for Llano: the F1A75-I Deluxe. Naturally, we couldn’t resist pitting these two contenders against each other in a featherweight cage match.

Zotac’s A75-ITX WiFi motherboard the Mini-ITX form factor is Zotac’s adopted home turf, so it stands a better chance against Asus than one might expect given where the two companies sit among the multiple tiers of motherboard makers. Asus is the biggest name in the retail motherboard market, while Zotac is at best a second-tier player. Zotac made its name inside small-form-factor systems, and the A75-ITX is designed to fuel the next generation.

The board itself looks relatively sedate. Although the overall aesthetic isn’t particularly eye-catching, Zotac deserves credit for deviating from the black-and-blue color scheme that has permeated the bulk of new motherboard designs.

Small-form-factor systems present particular challenges when it comes to component clearances. as you can see, the A75-ITX’s various slots and ports are snuggled right up next to the CPU socket. To provide a better sense of how much room there is to spare, we busted out a ruler to measure a few key clearances.

There’s only 17 mm of space between the CPU socket and the closet DIMM slot. Depending on your CPU cooler, that arrangement could complicate compatibility with taller memory modules. the VRM and chipset heatsinks put more distance between themselves and the socket, and they’re only about 30 mm tall. Only the most overgrown CPU coolers are likely to restrict access to the PCI Express x16 slot located at the far edge of the board.

The more than three-inch gap between the socket and the x16 slot is densely populated, even if its inhabitants are relatively stunted. on the far left sits a front-panel USB 3.0 connector. beside it, an AzureWave Mini PCIe card bestows the board with 802.11n and Bluetooth 3.0 wireless functionality.

Over to the right, we see Zotac is only taking advantage of four of the six SATA ports built into the A75 chipset. that should cover the storage needs of most small-form-factor systems, but the top-right port is a little too close to the CMOS battery. the vertically mounted battery is tall enough to interfere with the locking tabs on Serial ATA cables—including the ones that come in the box—so you’ll want to keep a small, flat-headed screwdriver handy.

We can follow the wireless card’s loose, looping wires all the way to the port cluster, where they’re anchored to a pair of antenna jacks. the wiring is awkwardly bent around the heatsink fins it touches—not a big deal, but amateurish when compared with what you’ll see on the next page.

With the exception of internal headers for a pair of old-school USB 2.0 ports, the rest of the A75-ITX’s USB connectivity is of the SuperSpeed variety. Counting the internal headers and the six ports in the rear cluster, there are twice as many USB 3.0 ports as are available in the A75 chipset. rather than relying on third-party controllers to supply the additional ports, Zotac splits the ones coming off the A75 using a pair of USB 3.0 hubs from via. These VL810 hubs are capable of splitting one USB 3.0 port into four, but it’s unclear which of the A75-ITX’s ports stem from the hubs and which, if any, are linked directly to the chipset. We’re still waiting on Zotac to explain how everything is connected.

For all four of you who want to build a Llano-based NAS box, the A75-ITX serves up a pair of Gigabit Ethernet ports backed by Realtek controllers. Realtek also provides the audio codec, an ALC892, which fuels five analog audio jacks and a digital S/PDIF output. if you’re short an S/PDIF input on your speakers or receiver, multi-channel digital audio can be passed through the HDMI port by Llano’s integrated Radeon.

Zotac ties the Radeon to DVI and HDMI outputs. a CMOS reset switch is tucked just to the left of those display ports in the rear cluster. the button might seem like a minor addition, but anyone who has ever tried to get at the CMOS reset jumper in a cramped Mini-ITX enclosure will definitely appreciate it.

Although the A75-ITX has one of those newfangled UEFIs, you wouldn’t know it by using the thing. There’s no mouse support, the graphical interface looks exactly like an old-school BIOS, and the array of tweaking options is limited. Short of an APU multiplier setting that’s largely useless until AMD releases unlocked Black Edition versions of Llano, the UEFI is pretty much devoid of overclocking options. you can crank the memory clock to 1866MHz, but that’s about it. Even the voltage options are extremely limited—in both scope and granularity.

Overclocking a small-form-factor Llano box probably wouldn’t be wise. however, you’re definitely going to want to tune that system’s fan behavior to make it as quiet as possible. the UEFI doesn’t do too poorly on this front, offering the ability to set a starting temperature threshold, plus starting and maximum speeds for the CPU fan. one can also switch the CPU fan into a manual mode locked at a static speed. Separate controls aren’t provided for the system fan, though.

With the value of classic and custom license plates on the rise, Camisasca Automotive Manufacturing is now offering a new kit known as PlateSafe, which will work to keep car owners

THE man appointed to lead Australian cricket out of the ash-strewn wilderness has played 20 Tests, but they did not involve stumps, red balls or lunch breaks.

Pat Howard, 37, a former rugby international, was yesterday appointed to the new position of Cricket Australia’s general manager team performance.

He played 20 Tests for the Wallabies during the 1990s and was recently the high-performance manager for the Australian Rugby Union, but admits his cricket playing experience is rather limited.

"I was lucky enough to be sitting in the dressing room of the Leicestershire county cricket side once and they gave me the chance to put on the whites and field for the last four overs," he said. "they were playing Essex and I can remember that when Stuart Law walked on, I was more nervous than in any rugby game I have ever been in.

"Like all my mates and like most Australians, I love cricket.

"It’s been said many times that there are 20 million selectors in this country and I am coming from that base, but I admit I have to get my head around the processes very quickly."

The appointment of Howard is the first step in bedding down the administrative changes recommended by the Argus review.

His first role will be to appoint a head coach to replace Tim Nielsen and a full-time chairman of selectors as well as filling the part-time positions on that panel.

Although he is not due to start for a month, Howard has already had a preliminary look at the field of candidates.

"There are names everywhere," he said. "that is not where I start. I always go back a step.

"When we went through the Wallabies coach selection process, we started by making sure the attributes of the candidates were right.

"what I will be asking James Sutherland (CA chief executive officer) and key stakeholders is: ‘What does cricket need? what complements Michael Clarke? what complements the nature of the team?’

"People want to throw names at you first, but you want to be able to run them through a checklist and see if they have done this, done that and so on.

"I know the names that are being thrown around but the first question I have to ask the others is: ‘What do you want from the person who will get this job?’ "

Howard’s role focuses solely on team performance and was one of the major recommendations of the Argus review.

The head coach, chairman of selectors, team manager and Centre of Excellence manager will all report to Howard, who will be based in Brisbane when he starts in the job in mid-November.

Howard is expected to work closely with the state cricket managers to eliminate the disconnect that occurs when players slip from one system to the other. He is also responsible for women’s cricket.

He says that while there has been some cynicism about his lack of cricketing experience, he does not believe it is important.

"I haven’t played cricket but the reality is that is a positive and a negative. the positive is I come with no baggage. I can ask a lot of questions and I can bring a perspective from other sports. But at the same stage I need to be complemented by technical expertise and I will have to trust those people," Howard said.

"Hopefully, that allows the coaches and national selectors the confidence to do their job freely. my job is to put the right people

in the right places. I have to complement their roles, which are technical.

"I never see myself in a tracksuit and I wouldn’t have been hired if that was a requirement.

"the Argus review talks about getting the right frameworks in place, succession planning, making sure the states are on board.

There are lots of factors.

"I am being driven by what the Argus report recommends. I can’t comment in any depth until I have been through the learning phase when I join the group."

Sutherland welcomed the appointment of Howard, a qualified pharmacist who has been working in property development since he left the ARU.

"we are delighted Pat is taking this role," Sutherland said. "He has a background of success as a player, selector and coach, including 20 Tests as an Australian player, as well as playing and coaching success with the Leicester Tigers in England and was a high-performance GM with the ARU," he said.

"He brings vital qualities in what is a pivotal new role with a singular focus on Australian team performance.

"his priority will be ensuring that all of Australia’s High Performance cricket programs dovetail in a manner that helps us produce the best men’s and women’s teams in the world".

In the past, the cricket general manager, Michael Brown, did those jobs as well as the operational side of the business.

Howard said it was a great opportunity for anybody interested in sports leadership.

Taipei, Taiwan (September 22, 2011)

Apple's iPhone 4S will be available for Sprint, Verizon, and AT&T.

(Credit:Apple)

The recently announced iPhone 4S will be available not just for AT&T and Verizon, but also for Sprint. This means that for the first time, aniPhone will be available on three of the four major U.S. carriers.

The iPhone 4S has a few notable improvements over theiPhone 4, including a faster dual-core A5 chip and an 8-megapixel camera capable of 1080p HD video capture. If you’re a Sprint customer, you might be happy that you have an iPhone at all, 4S or not.

The iPhone 4S will have the same hardware across all three carriers–the same processor, same camera, and same dual-mode CDMA/GSM chipset, even if that chipset isn’t activated for all carriers (see AT&T section below). We’re also still watching to see how the world chip plays out in terms of global cellular coverage, if Sprint and Verizon will unlock the GSM portion of the chipset so you can easily slide in a GSM SIM card when you travel abroad (GSM will not work on Verizon and Sprint in the U.S.).

Related stories• iPhone 4S first take• If you want blazing speed, iPhone 4S may not be for you• How to pick a carrier for the iPhone 4S (infographic)• Apple iPhone 4S gets lukewarm analyst response• you should wait online, not in line, for the iPhone 4S

Now, just because it’s got the same innards doesn’t mean you’ll get the same experience across the board. Carrier coverage fluctuates from region to region–AT&T might have poor performance in San Francisco, but great signal strength elsewhere. Data plans are different for each carrier, too, as are customer service and the terms of your early-termination fees. also, keep in mind that even though Sprint and Verizon both operate on CDMA networks, if you buy an iPhone 4S for one carrier, you won’t be able to swap it to another, so if you pick Sprint or Verizon, you’re stuck unless you want to buy your device anew. So choose wisely.

We’ll perform a deeper test of the iPhone 4S in the weeks following the launch, but in the meantime we’ve put together a guide that might help you decide which carrier to go with if you’re in the market for the new iPhone 4S.

iPhone 4S data plansSprintAT&TVerizonUnlimited, starts at $69.99 with voice200MB–$15/month2GB-$25/month4GB–$45/month2GB–$30/month5GB–$50/month10GB–$80/month

Pros: Even though the iPhone 4S has a dual-mode CDMA/GSM chipset, AT&T only activates the GSM technology if you subscribe with AT&T (so you won’t be able to swap over to a CDMA network like Verizon or Sprint). AT&T’s GSM technology gives you a speed advantage, though, since AT&T’s HSPA+ 14.4Mbps data network is theoretically much faster than Verizon’s and Sprint’s EV-DO Rev. A, which have a theoretical maximum of only 3.2Mbps. Additionally, it offers simultaneous voice and data, which the others lack.

Cons: AT&T is notorious for dropped calls, and a fast data network is of no use if you don’t have access to it, depending on where you live.

In sum: If you’re a multitasking speed hound who needs simultaneous voice and data, AT&T is your only option.

Pros: Verizon is known for broad and reliable nationwide coverage and steady customer service. With the iPhone 4, Verizon became the second carrier to get an iPhone, so it’s proven that the network can handle both the additional iPhone 4S traffic and your customer service needs. The iPhone 4S’s dual GSM/CDMA chip makes it a world phone.

Cons: Verizon’s investment in 4G LTE surpasses the other U.S. carriers; the non-4G iPhone 4S is going to pale in comparison with rivalAndroid phones that can tap into Verizon’s zippy 4G speeds. (See CNET’s iPhone 4 speed tests.) As it’s a CDMA phone, you can’t talk and use data at the same time.

In sum: With its proven network strength and coverage, Verizon may be the safest choice for Apple fans who haven’t yet taken the plunge, but only those who don’t place a premium on having the fastest data speeds money can buy.

Pros: Sprint has promised unlimited data for the iPhone 4S, unlike AT&T and Verizon, which are tiered. that makes Sprint potentially the most affordable iPhone 4S provider when it comes to the most data-intense users streaming videos, downloading music, and playing online games from their devices. The iPhone 4S’ dual GSM/CDMA chip makes it a world phone.

Cons: Sprint has never carried the iPhone in any form. Despite assurances that its network can shoulder the onslaught of iPhone traffic, the claim remains untested. There’s the chance that Sprint could drop coverage or throttle speeds. As it’s a CDMA phone, you can’t talk and use data at the same time.

In sum: As the nation’s third-largest carrier, Sprint has the most to gain from adding the iPhone to its lineup, and if Sprint can pull it off, that unlimited data plan is hard for heavy users to beat. after all, the lack of an iPhone was customers’ top reason for leaving the carrier. on the other hand, Sprint’s data ambition also makes it the riskiest iPhone 4S carrier choice, and Sprint will suffer more defections and derision should its network promises fail.

A word on SprintSprint’s pricing structure is a little different from those of AT&T and Verizon, since the unlimited option bundles data into voice plans for individuals and families. The lowest all-inclusive price starts at $69 a month for individuals, plus a $10 data supplement, and includes 450 peak minutes. The priciest plan for single users is a $110 monthly rate, and it includes just about everything (even the $10 monthly data supplement).

You’ll need to consider these prices as well when you shop for your iPhone 4S, as you would when you shop for a rate plan on AT&T and Verizon as well.

(Credit:Sprint)

Editors’ note: Although it is not listed in the above chart, a $10 data supplement also applies to family plans.

Article updated Friday at 9:08 a.m. PT and at 1:23 p.m. PT with more details.

MacFixIt answers is a feature in which we answer questions e-mailed in by our readers. This week readers had questions on security software recommendations for Macs, systems pausing while showing green pixels, garbled boot images when booting from the OS X DVD, and Office 2011′s Solver utility crashing when launched. we continually answer e-mail questions, and though we present a few answers here, we welcome alternative approaches and views from readers and encourage you to post your suggestions in the comments.

Question: Security software for a newMacMacFixIt reader “scfox” asks:

After using a G4 933MHz Quicksilver for years and now a Mac Pro, do I need to use some form of Internet security software like Symantec’s or [others]?

Answer:The use of security software is up to you. While there are some hacks and malware out there for OS X, they aren’t very prevalent. my recommendation is to be wise about what you open on your system, and if you need to then install a virus-scanning suite (I like Sophos, but others do well), keep it updated, and have it scan your downloads folder and Mail folders regularly (either on demand or weekly). I don’t recommend setting up automatic full-system scans, but running a full scan a few times a year won’t hurt anything.

I would avoid tools that claim to take control of all your security needs, as these can many times result in odd behavior as Apple changes and develops its OS. if you are going to install a malware scanner, my recommendations are Sophos, VirusBarrier, ClamXav, Avast, iAntivirus, MacScan, and Kaspersky.

Question: Green pixels showing with intermittent pausesMacFixIt reader “James” asks:

I have had intermittent freezing of the whole system (15-inch 2008 MacBook Pro running Lion) accompanied by a mostly-green pixelization of the screen. I suspect a graphics card problem, but when I try starting the MacBook Pro with D depressed, I don’t see the Apple Hardware Test. Rather, the machine (so far) starts normally. is the Test no longer accessible on my machine with Lion? any idea about the green freeze I’m experiencing?

Answer:The test should still work if you can otherwise boot to the DVD; however, I have heard of the tests not working on some Lion systems. Here is one article that has a hint which may work to get the tests running again, though it’s not guaranteed.

As for the problem at hand, it could be a driver-related issue, but is definitely a problem with the graphics system and could be hardware-based (sometimes overheating can cause similar anomalies). Generally random pixel-based patterns mean a GPU hardware problem is occurring. have you tried any hardware resets on the system like resetting the PRAM or SMC? Does it happen when you boot into Safe Mode? if doing this cannot fix the issue then you may need to have the system serviced to fix it, especially if the problem persists when you either boot off the OS X recovery drive or boot to an alternative OS (an older version of OS X that is installed on an external drive).

Question: Gray Apple logo appears garbled when booting to OS X DVDMacFixIt reader “Dan” asks:

I have a late 2008/2009 iMac, 2.66GHz dual core, 24″ screen currently running OS 10.5.8. A few months ago I tried to upgrade to Snow Leopard using the disk purchased at an Apple store. after loading and restarting, it came on to the gray screen, with what looks like the dark gray Apple logo scattered in pieces across the screen. When I asked the Apple genius they said it must be a graphics issue, but 10.5.8 runs with no issues, and I don’t want to start throwing parts at this thing. I had to restart and boot back to Leopard, and subsequent tries of simply booting from the disk had the same results. any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

Answer:The problem may be driver-based, but Apple tests its installers on all supported Mac systems and since your system is not modifiable, so you can’t replace the graphics card, the hardware should work properly. have you tried resetting the system’s PRAM and SMC? if not then give that a try.

Also, do you have any peripheral devices attached to the system–printers, scanners, or other USB/FireWire devices? if so then try removing them while you upgrade.

Lastly, if the problem persists it may be an issue involving the optical drive. One option you can try is to get an 8GB USB memory stick and then use Disk Utility to restore the Snow Leopard installation disc to the memory stick. to do this, format the USB stick to Mac OS X Extended, and then click the Restore tab. Drag the OS X installer disc to the Source field, and then drag the formatted USB stick volume (not the drive, but the volume name underneath it) to the Destination field. When this is done, click the Restore button to in essence clone the installer to the USB drive. after this, you can boot to the drive by restarting while holding the Option key, and then selecting it from the list of boot drives when they appear on your screen.

Question: Office component Solver crashing when launchedMacFixIt reader “Marcelo” asks:

I’m running Mac OS X Lion and Office for Mac 2011. When I go to Launchpad and click in SOLVER, it attempts to open, but always closes suddenly without starting [and shows a crash log]. What happened? is the problem with Mac OS X Lion or with Office for Mac 2011?

Answer:You are supposed to launch Solver from within Excel, and not as a separate application. to do this, open Excel and select “Add-ins…” from the Tools menu. then check the box next to “Solver” and it should now appear at the bottom of the same menu. From here, you can invoke it to use to solve various equations in the foremost Excel spreadsheet.

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